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Glenn Maxwell smashes 80* as Australia clinch tense ODI win

CricketGlenn Maxwell smashes 80* as Australia clinch tense ODI win

Pallekele: Sri Lanka looked ahead for much of the first ODI in Pallekele, only for Glenn Maxwell to turn the match late in the tourists’ favour.

Maxwell finished with 80 not out off 51 deliveries, hitting a total of 12 boundaries, to steer his side to a two-wicket win via the DLS method.

All the talking points as the tourists drawing first blood in the five-match series.

Wanindu Hasaranga looked to be impacted by his persistent leg trouble, though the star all-rounder continued to showed his world-class talent once again.

As the hosts looked poised to post a score around the 280 mark, the right-hander struck five consecutive boundaries off Jhye Richardson, manipulating field with smart footwork and a mix of touch and power.

Finishing with 37 from 19 balls, Hasaranga helped the hosts reach an even 300 before troubling the Aussies with the ball.

 

He went on to claim 4/58 from nine overs, claiming Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis, as well as Alex Carey and Pat Cummins in the same over.

Despite his exploits, Hasaranga could not land the killer blow on Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Maxwell. The leg-spinner’s final delivery beat the bat, though Maxwell scurried through for a bye to retain the strike, and then went on to plunder 15 off the next over.

After bursting onto the scene at the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup, Dunith Wellalage was no shrinking violet after earning a first senior international call-up.

The left-arm orthodox spinner claimed Steve Smith as his first scalp, forcing an error from one of the world’s best as his delivery skidded underneath the Australian’s bat. He was then entrusted with a death-over role, and claimed Ashton Agar with a plumb lbw decision that looked to turn the tide.

Despite the debutant’s best efforts, Wellalage was outfoxed by Maxwell, with a reverse sweep and a swat to the leg-side for consecutive boundaries bringing the required rate down from eight to six.

Finishing with 2/49 from seven overs, Wellalage will be all the richer for the experience though, and captain Dasun Shanaka predicts the all-rounder will feature a lot more for the senior team.

“He’s is a very good cricketer. I have seen him performing through the under-19 level, so I think he’ll deliver in the future for us.”

 

Maxwell was held back for a finishing role, and it almost looked as if the timing of Australia’s run was too late, with only five wickets in hand and still needing 93 from 84 balls.

 

One of Australia’s best ever with the bat in the subcontinent, Maxwell had other ideas.

 

More measured, though equally as assertive as his T20I century at the same ground six years ago, Maxwell put his foot down. As Sri Lanka’s spinners ran rings around his teammates, Maxwell countered, hitting Hasaranga and Wellalage for 38 runs off just 22 deliveries between them.

 

Maxwell farmed the strike when Jhye Richardson walked out to bat, and ramped up against the pace threat of Dushmantha Chameera, hitting him for two consecutive sixes to put an exclamation mark at the end of the successful chase.

 

“I was just trying to stay out there as long as I could. I knew I was going to get balls to score off in my areas at some stage, and I was just trying to take risks at the right time,” Maxwell summated after victory.

“I think when there was only three overs left, I think that was a good opportunity to try and get the run rate down under six, and then try and do it in the next over without letting it get to the last over, because all sorts of chaos could happen in the last.”

Courtesy ICC

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